Safety oil-tank.



W. WESTON & J. G. ORTH.

SAFETY OIL TANK.

nrmuumn FILED MAY 12, 190B.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Wifksaes J W v 5 f To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM wEs'ro'Ii'A n JOHN G. orvrn, or Los ANen Es, oALIroRNIA.

SAFETY err-T NK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.-

Application filed May 12, 1908. Serial No. 432,555.

the stored oil may be freed from impurities having greater specific gravity than the oil.

Another object is to take care of the expansion and contraction of the stored oil caused by variations oftemperature.

Anotherobject of thisinvention is to prov de means for handling oil and transferring the same from one tankto another as in the case of loading or unloading cars, tank steamers, etc., without admission or incluslon of air to or in the oil-containers.

Other objects and advanta es may appear from the subjoined detailed escription.

' The invention may be embodied in various forms.

The accompanyin drawing illustrates the nvention In the mm at present deemed most desirable.

1 designates a shell which maybe of any suitable material of sufiicient stren th to restrain the contents under the desire pressure. r

2 deslgnates a water supply pipe leading from a pressure source such as a pump, do-

mestic or'city water-supply, an elevated tank, or'the like, not shown.

3 designates a pressure regulator to insure a constant and uniform pressure in ipe 2. 4 s a check-valve, and 5 a cut-ofi' va ve for said ipe 2 to control the flow of water theret rough.

6 is a draw-01f valve.

2' 1s a section of water pipe between valves 5 and 6.

1s an inlet and outlet pipe between the cut-ofi' valve 5 and the draw-off valve 6, and communicating between the intermediate' portion 2" of the pipe 2 and the lower portion of the shell 1, and terminating in a downwardly-turned portion or goose-neck 8 the mouth 8 of which is arranged opening downwardly above the bottom 9 of the shell so as to allow space forundisturbed accumulations of sediment from the contents of the tank 1 without interfering with i such month 8, also. to avoid driving water up into the oil in case of rapid outflow of 011 under strong pressure of water, to direct sediment downward and to maintain a charge of water at the bottom of thetank.

10 is a valved relief-pipe opening from the shell 1 at a level somewhat above that of the mouth 8 of the water-pipe 7 but below the normal water-level in the shell.

Said relief-pipe is provided with a safetyvalve 11, and the outer limb 12 thereof may lead to any point of discharge desired. 1 13 is 'a filling pipe controlled by acutoff valve 14L for the purpose oi? charging the shell with oil.

l 15 is the discharge pipe provided with a cut-oi? valve 16 and a check-valve l7. Said discharge-pipe may lead to any place and to any burner, burners, or other device, or devices, not shown, where the oil is to be delivered.

18 designates a pressure gage, and 19 a sight-glass connectedv with the shell to enable the operator to determine the pressure and the level of the contents of the shell:

20 designates a man-hole to give access to the interior of the shell.

In practice, water may be admitted to the interior of the shell by closing the draw-01f valve 6 and opening the cut-ofi valve 5 and the charging valve 14, and thereupon water will flow into the shell 'until the sameds filled, and will then fill the pipe 13 and finally flow out at the open end thereof. Then the operator will close the ttli-Olf valve 5 and will connect the pipe 13. with an oil-supply, not shown, for the purpose of filling the tank to the desired extent. a

When the connection of pipe 13 with the oil-supply, not shown, has been made, the

draw-off valve 6 may be opened and thereupon the water in the shell will begin to fiow out through pipe 2" and will cause.

suction through the'plpe 13 to draw oil into the tank to supply the vacuum as the water flows out. When the charge of oil thus admitted is sufiicient to fill the tank from the top downward to the man-hole 20, the attendant'will close the draw-ofi valve 6 and 11 0 the charging valve 14. In this we the tank will be entlrely filled with liqui and the air excluded. The apparatusls now ready for 'holding the oil in storage for any required per1od, and in case the surrounding temperatures rise, thus causing expansion of the oil, the water at the. bottom of the tank will, by such expansion be forced through the relief pipe 10,.the check-valve 4 preventing any return of water toward the source of supply.

The provision of the check-valve is necessary in order to enable the relief-valve to operate. As it will be seen, the pressure to operate the relief-valve. must'exceed the pressure from the water-supply, and it' would not be permissible to .allowconnec tion of the tank with the water-supply means if such action subjected the mains to liability of receiving charges of oil in case [of fire. Otherwise, 1n case of large quantitle's of 011 being stored and connected with the water-main the fire-engines. might be found to add'fuel to the flames. By, opening either or both the valves 14: and 16, the oil will be allowed to flow out responsive to the water pressure from pipe 2.- The supply of oil may then be replenished by opening valves 6 and 14 while the other valves are closed and the pipe 13 is con-.. nected with an oilsupply. s

For supplying oil-burners or other means for consuming oil, the valve 14 may be kept closed and the valve 16 open, thus aland past the check-valve 17. I Said eckvalve prevents any air to the shell. i

In case theoil contains water or impurities of any kind which have aspecific grav- -it greater than the oil, such substances will settle to the lower portion of the tank and the accumulations may be.-removed from time totime through the man-hole 20 after the liquid contents'of the shell have been drawn oif. The-water admitted in the manner above stated, will effectually expel 'all the oil andgas so thatwhenvthe water vis drawn olf, access to the interior ofthe tank may be had with perfect safety, it bein understood that atmospheric air is admitted to. the tank through elther of pipes 13 or 15, so that when the water is drawn off, the contents of the tank will consist simplg of atmospheric air and the deposits w leh may remain at the bottom of the tank after the water and the liquid impurities have been drawn .ofl through valve 6. By this means the delays heretofore necessary for safety, in order to allow the gases to escape from the tank, are avoided and all danger of explosions to which oil-tanks have heretofore been liable under normal conditions is done away with.

It is to be understood that the relief valve back flow... of oil or of 11 will be constructed to resist any pressure that may pass the pressure regulator 3 and thatin case the pressure in the shell becomes excessive the check valve 4 will close and the relief valve 11 will open thus allowing water to be discharged from the tank, thereby to relieve the ressure. When the pressure becomes again reduced to the normal the vacuum, 1f any, will be supplied through the.

regulator 3. It is thus 'seen that when the tank is subjected to heat 'as inthe case of a fire around the same, thereby expanding the oil,that the fluid at first ejected from the reliefipe will be water and no danger from urning oil can result at the outset of the fire, and that by extending the reliefpipe to 'a placefree from danger of fire the expansion though continued until oil flows may free from danger. In any event dan er of bursting or straining the tank and all iability of oil escaping at spreading seams, is avoided.

We claim A safet'ytank comprising shell, means for supplying water to the same, means for suppl ing vo atile oil to said shell, a relief pipe avin adischarge separate from the water supp means and having an inlet in communication with the shell below the normal waterlevel, an outwardly opening relief, valve located inthe .relief, pipe, and means for maintaining the valve in closed position against the normal water pressure,

said valve automatically opening when'the means or supplying water under pressure 3 to the pi e on the other-side of said connection, an acut-ofi' valve and a check-valve located said latter portion.

3, The combination with a shell of valved means for. supplying oil or the like to the 2 upper portion of the shell, valved means for dlsch'arging the said oil or the like from the upper portion of the shell, a water pipe con nected between its ends with the'lower portion of the shell, a draw-ofi' 'valve connected to the ipe at one side of the connection, means or supplying water under pressure to the pipeon the other side of said connection, a cut-ofi yalve and a check-valve located in said latter portion,'a relief pipe independent of the water pipe, and connected to the lower portion of the shell and an outwardly opening pressure-operated relief valve in the relief pipe.

4. The combination with a closed tank, of

011 totlie lower portion of the tank,

ance thereto, greater than the sup sure, said means being automatica means for supplying oilto, and means for drawing off the same from the upper portion of the tank, means for supplying a liquid of greater -specific gravity than the sure controller located in the last named supply means for maintaining a constant pressure of the liquid in the tank, means for preventing back flow of liquid through the withdrawing means and means for preventing back flow of liquid through the last named supply means, automatic relief discharge means connected to the lower portion of the tank, said automatic means normally preventing the outflowof liquid through the relief discharge means and opposing a resistly operated to permit a relief discharge whenever the pressure within the tank .overbalances the resistance. 1

5. The combination with a closed tank, of means for admitting oil'to, and means for drawing ofl thesame, from the upper portion of the tank, a water supply pipe connected to the lower portion of the tank, a check valve therein, a pressure controller also located in the water supply pipe, a rea presly presortion supply connecte to the. lower n the pi e of the tanijand a relief valve'locate relief discha'rge ipe and norma1ly closinglief discharge pipe se arate from the'water the same, said va ve opposing a resistance to.-

the outflow, greater than the supply pressure and automatically opening when such resistance is overcome.

6. The combination with a closed tank,'of

means for supplying oil to and means for withdrawing. 1t from-the upper portion of the tank, a water supply and discharge pipe leading through the bottom of the tank, into the same, and, terminating above said bottom in a downturned goose-neck, means for admitting and discharging water through r said pipe, and means for permitting the removal of sediment deposlted in the lower 

